Zack's Best Prank
by Texcatlipoka
Summary: When Zack pulls off the ultimate prank, Cody is landed in a heap of trouble. Can he keep his dignity, and avoid serious humiliation? Zack doesn't seem to think so...
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone, this is my second fanfic, and it happens right after the episode "bowling." Read and Review!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Suite Life of Zack and Cody, nor any of the characters.

"I can't believe you did that!"

"Did what?"

"You know what."

"Oh, yeh, that. Well it was just so tempting. I mean, I was awake before you, for once, and you were just lying there, on your front without a shirt on. How could I pass it down." Zack made an innocent face, using every effort of will not to break down with laughter.

Cody just glared at him.

"Oh, c'mon Cody don't be like that. No-one can see it. Besides, you said my handwriting should be neater."

Still looking like he was facing Adolf Hitler rather than his twin brother, Cody walked past Zack to the fridge. This clearly displayed the words "Kick Me" with an appropriately pointing arrow, written in capitals and in permanent ink between his shoulder blades.

Zack, on the couch, erupted with laughter.

"Zack!"

"Sorry... buddy," Zack managed to stagger between giggles. "that's has got to be one of the best yet."

Cody frowned, looking deeply unhappy. Trying desperately to distract himself and Zack, he said "Did you get in the newspaper."

"No 'Course not. I haven't done anything famous or impressive."

"No you..." Cody had long ago ran out of appropriate adjectives "I mean, have you picked it up from outside."

"Oh no, sorry Cody," Zack muttered apologetically, "I don't suppose you could just nip out and get it for me could you?"

"Oh no you don't, I am _not _falling for that a third time, no way." Cody's pride seemed to be returning.

"Oh fine, I'll get it then."

_Onto plan two then, _Zack thought, opening the door.

"Oh look," he said into the suite, "Mom's left us a note. Hang on, the writing's quite small, I can't quite read it from here."

"Let me see," Cody demanded, his curiosity immediately grabbed.

Cody walked over to the door and leaned past his brother to try and read the yellow sticker. He should have guessed from the handwriting that Zack had written it, bu his wits were clearly not as sharp as his brain.

He was halfway through when Zack suddenly cried "Third time's the charm!" In an instant, his hands flashed out, the first pushing Cody out into the corridor, the second grabbing the back of his towel.

Cody spun around blindly, but Zack had already locked the door. Immediately realising from the draft that his towel was gone, he desperately beat on the door.

"C'mon Zack! Open the door!"

"Gee," came the reply "I sure do hope no-one hears that banging and comes to see what's happening."

Cody immediately put his hands down and whispered instead of shouting, "Ok Zack, you've had your fun. Now open the door."

"Sure bro." The lock turned halfway, then fell back into place again. Cody felt like his heart had repeated the same motion.

"Actually," came Zack's bored tone. "I'm feeling a little hungry, and Mom won't be back for dinner for three hours. Could you get me something.

"_What?!"_

"Oh go on, Cody, It's the least you could do for your brother." Zack said matter-of-factly, "I would go down myself, but my hairs a bit messed up and I wouldn't want Maddie to see me like that."

"What," Cody repeated dumbly, still looking continually left, then right, "But I'm... I... I don't even have any money on me."

"I'm sure if you ask real nice she'll just give it to you. Maddie's like that."

"If I begged, would you open the door?" Said Cody despairingly.

"No." said Zack decisively.

Cody still couldn't quite believe his predicament, when he heard footsteps. He jumped just out of panic. The footsteps grew closer...

Esteban passed the Martin suite, pushing a luggage cart and humming a tune in his own language, if he remembered it properly. On the third line he paused, his mind going blank, and started from scratch as he turned the corner.

Poor Cody peeked out from behind a decorative bush plant, thanking God it was there. Now what would he do? Clearly he would have to get the candy for Zack. Then Zack would have to open the door part way and he could try and force himself in if he had to.

He was fairly sure he could overpower Zack if he tried, despite being several pounds lighter. Well, probably, anyway.

Finally, he decided the ventilation system would be safest. It was lucky he was quite small, and the vents were so big, or he'd have no chance.

Stepping out from the bush plant, where he'd curled himself up, he walked bravely down the corridor towards the nearest vent. Both twins knew the vents very well by now, but Cody was also trying to avoid being seen and was afraid he might miss it.

He kept bending over, instinctively trying to cover his personal areas, but then he would remember what was scrawled on his back and that he would just be asking for compliance by walking like that. The whole thing was just one big appalling position. _This cannot be happening, _his mind kept screaming at him.

**End of part 1 **

**This fic is going to be a two-shot because I... Well... I just couldn't be bothered to keep going with this at the time. But if people like, I will update! Read and Review, people. **


	2. Chapter 2

**So this is the second chapter up. Not really much to say here. **

**Oh yeah, and I still don't own the Suite Life of Zack and Cody. **

It seemed to take him ages to reach the nearest vent. With a sigh of relief, he pulled off the grill (he still laughed at how easy that was) and clambered into it. _God that felt cold_. He was covered in goose bumps, including in places he'd never had them before.

He crawled for some time. He didn't use this route often, and was beginning to think he was lost. But he was even more worried about what would happen when he reached the lobby. He felt like crying. _Thanks Zack_.

He finally arrived at the end of the vent. Peering out the grill, he could make out Mr Moseby at the check-in desk, deep in heated conversation with a couple of Inuit tribesman.

Otherwise the lobby was rather empty. No-one was looking his way, thank God again. Quickly and as silently as possible, he clambered out of the vent and walked boldly up to the candy counter (A/N: If this were on film, he'd be walking in from off the studio), trying to lean on it to hide as much of his torso as possible. Maddie hadn't seen him yet. Her eyes were on... Esteban!... No, it was that male model waiting to check-in.

Taking a deep, nervous breath, he said "Hey Maddie." No-one looked round except the blond candy-counter girl.

She eyed him suspiciously. He was wearing that stupid grin, the one that meant something had just gone horribly wrong for him, and he didn't appear to... "Hey Cody. You are, you know..."

"Yes!" he interrupted hurriedly, "err, I mean no, err, could you rephrase the question?"

"Cody, this isn't a game show. Stop moving!" She had edged round the counter, and so had Cody, so the twin now had his back to the entrance.

He snatched something from one of the shelves, not really paying attention as Maddie kept circling and so did he to keep the counter between them.

"Cody, stop moving, for God's sake. It can't be that embarrassing!"

_You have no idea, _his mind said. He was now standing at the till.

"Cody this is ridicu-"

"Jessie McCartney!"

"Where?!" Maddie whipped round, and sure enough, Jessie McCartney stood in the doorway. Cody must have had God looking after him.

In the sudden rush of confusion, Cody managed to escape back through the vents with his prize.

As he pulled himself out of the vent and started to walk quickly down the corridor, he couldn't quite believe he'd pulled it out.

There was a sudden burst of pain and humiliation as a heeled boot hit him right where the arrow said. Instinctively he spun round- then realised his mistake. London Tipton. Stood open mouthed, gawping, as Cody accidentally showed her the whole story.

Cody Martin had never been more embarrassed, not even when his brother had pushed him into the monkey pen at the zoo when they were ten, or even when he had found cockroaches in his sleeping bag when they had gone for a sleepover once. He shakily covered himself.

"Now London. There's a perfectly reasonable, logical explanation for why I'm like this."

No answer. Just gawping.

"You see, errrrrr," his mind raced as he looked for an excuse decent enough to fool London Tipton. Yes, that should work.

"You see, what happened, is I was on the rooftop, playing ball, and then there was this massive thunderstorm, and, I... I got struck by lightning. London looked horror-struck. "Yeh, and well, it burnt off all my clothes, and burned this into my back!" He turned to show her the words, and she immediately kicked him again.

"Ow, cut it out!"

"Sorry."

"Yeh so that's what happened. Got that?"

"Yes ok then. If you say so."

And with that, London walked off looking extremely confused, or that could have been her normal face.

Cody, alone again, gave a great, great, great sigh of relief as he stood out side the door to his suite.

"Ok, Zack, I've got the candy open the door."

"Wow, you actually got it. I'm impressed. I'd expected you to just wait around naked for three hours until Mom got home."

Zack opened the door a crack and Cody passed him the candy, desperate to get in. As soon as the door was open, Cody ran through and grabbed his towel. Zack grinned as he saw the two round purple bruises before Cody covered them.

"I can't believe you actually did that, Zack," Cody scolded, genuinely hurt, "that was just _cruel_"

"You're right bro," said Zack, hanging his head. I'm really sorry."

"Really?"

"No."

**Ten minutes later:**

London, in a fit of panic, flew round the corner and almost bumped into Esteban.

"Esteban, Esteban," She cried, "there's been a terrible accident."

"What happened?"

"Cody's been struck by lightning!"

**End**

Well, that's that then. Read and review everyone. You know you want to.


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